Kenturah Davis: Narratives and Meditations

August 30 - October 26, 2014

Narratives and Meditations
New, Hand-written Drawings

"The human body is the best picture of the human soul."
- Ludwig Wittgentstein

Part of my interest in creating portraits by writing a text rests in the idea that language aligns the mind with the body. It gives me a platform to consider the ways in which it permeates all human activity. How we use and navigate language structures determines how we perceive and experience reality. A new group of drawings, Narratives and Meditations, were made with these concepts in mind. Narratives, highlights language used in a social context, in terms of engaging and relating to others through words. Meditations emphasizes the ways that we individually absorb words to form an internal framework that fundamentally shapes our actions. The new work includes drawings related the mural I recently completed in Accra, Ghana.

 

Room I: Narratives

2014, pencil on someset paper, 75in x 237in


Narratives I-IV:

Narrative I: Ndidi, Narrative II: Steven, Narrative III: Kevin, Narrative IV: Kenturah

Text: *written by the artist

There's something about dignity And something about shame.

There's something about honesty And something about blame. 

We examine our thoughts and give them a name, Then navigate the world through words we exchange

 

Room II & III: Meditations

2014, pencil on somerset paper, 36in x 48in unframed 42.5in x 54.5in framed

Meditation I-IV:

Meditation I: Maame, Meditation II: Young Girl, Meditation III: Nana, Meditation IV: Martina

Text: *by Audre Lorde

I AM DELIBERATE AND AFRAID OF NOTHING

 

Meditation V-VIII

Meditation V: Kenturah

Text: *scripture from the bible, book of Isiaiah

So shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth, it shall not return unto me void but it should accomplish what I please and prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

 

Meditation VI: Moses

Text: *song lyric from Alchemy written by Moses Sumney

No one can be made better than myself. 

 

Meditation VII: Nkechi

Text: *written by the artist

I thrive in the pursuit of God: with my hands; on my skin; in the earth; deep within. 

 

Meditation VIII: Karim

Text: *unknown origin

I am guarding the gates. 

 

***Check out Kenturah's radio interview on KPCC's Offramp with John Rabe.***

The artist talk:

 

Narratives and Meditations was inspired by Kenturah's time in Accra, where she stayed for several months in 2013-2014.  This is a public mural she did while there.